The four Berbice sugar estates, Blairmont, Rose Hall, Albion and Skeldon, have signalled their intention to go on strike today.
The one-day industrial action is being taken by workers from the estates, in solidarity with their colleagues at the Wales estate following government’s decision to close that estate. The workers and their union—the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), are calling on Government to reverse its decision to close the Wales estate and at the same time calling for negotiations to be done for wages increase and their Annual Production Incentive (API). The strike action is expected to commence between 6.30 am and 8 am at the different estates.
Meanwhile, GAWU’s Berbice Regional Supervisor Harvey Tambron told Stabroek News that although the 2016 crop season has not commenced; the one-day strike action would be effective as it would delay preparations in the field and factory for the first crop. He noted that the estates would not be able to serve the machines in the factory and that would “definitely delay production”.
On Monday, workers from the Blairmont sugar estate protested government’s proposal to close the estate.
Following government’s decision to close the estate in January, there has been an outcry by workers, their families and critics for the decision to be reversed.
The announcement of the closure of the Wales estate, is the government’s first major decision following its setting up of a Commission of Inquiry into the Guyana Sugar Corporation.
